Match-box.



PATENTED JAN. 3, l905.

E..G. GARRIS.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. m04.

f IH HIIHI A TTOH/V E YS UNITED, STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,348, dated January 3, 1905.

v Application filed April 6, 1904. Serial No. 201,810.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD O. OARRIs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vashington, in the county of Washington and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Match-Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to match-boxes that are adapted to supply a single match at a time for removal from the box, and has for its object to provide additional features of improvement for a mechanically operated match-box, for which a patent was allowed to me December 9, 1903, Serial No. 180,700.

This invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.'

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective View of a matchbox embodying features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the match-box easing substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3, showing operative details in the easing. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4L is a perspective view of a tray-board in part, showing a detail of the invention thereon.

The box-body is preferably given a rectangular form, having parallel upright side walls 5, end walls 5, similar to the side walls, and a flaring base-flange 5b formed thereon, and for the sake of lightness and convenience in manufacture the box-body is cut and formed by suitable means from sheet metal and completed by provision of a lid 5d, that normally covers an opening in the upper wall 5c of the same, said lid being hinged thereon at a.

A partition-wall 5e is secured in the casing or boxbody, extending longitudinally and near one side wall 5 and parallel with both side walls, thus providing a main compartment A and a gear-holding compartment B, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the main compartment A a cylinder 6 is held to rotate. Said cylinder, of suitable dimensions, is preferably formed of sheet metal and is provided with an axially-central shaft 7, that projects at each end wall of the cylinder through one side wall 5 and the partitionwall 5e, as shown in Fig. 3.

A tray-board 8, forming a feature of the invention, is secured by its side edges and one end within the box-body compartment A forwardly of the cylinder 6, the tray-board having proper inclination longitudinally, so as to locate the lower end thereof near to and beneath the peripheral wall of the cylinder. At the end of the tray-board 8 which is adjacent to the cylinder 6 two V-shaped notches b are formed, that extend longitudinally, of proper length and at an equal distance from the side edges of the tray-board, producing three tongue-sections Z1.

There are nearly similar flanges Z22 formed, preferably, at a right angle on the three separated tongue-sections t', which are produced on the end portion of the tray-board 8 by the formation of thenotches therein, and these flanges project toward the periphery of the cylinder 6, nearly contacting therewith.

The flange b3, that is the central one of the three, is elevated slightly by the upward inclination of the intermediate tongue-section 7;', whereon said fiange is formed, this slight elevation of the flange and intermediate tonguesection affording positive advantage in the operation of the device, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the compartment B a spring-motor O of common construction is secured, having the central shaft c thereof projected from the ease of the motor and journaled in the walls 5 5e, one endportion of said shaft projecting sufciently outside of the wall 5 to receive a thumb-key O', employed for rewinding the motor as occasion may require.

Upon the shaft c a spur-gear c is secured, and above the gear c a pinion CZ is mounted and secured upon an extension of the shaft 7, said shaft being prolonged to have its end journaled in the side wall 5 that is nearest to the partition 5e. A bracketplate e, having sufieient length, is secured by laterally-bent pads on its ends upon the inner surface of the side wall 5 that is a portion ofthe gear-com- IOO partment B, and the main shaft? passes loosely therethrough.

Between the bracket-plate e and side 5 a spur-gear f is mounted and secured upon the main shaft 7 and in a like manner another smaller spur-gear g is pivoted between the bracket-plate and side wall mentioned, this gear meshing with the spur-gear f. A third spur gear la of less diameter than the gear f/ is pivoted between the bracket-plate and side wall 5 in mesh with said gear g, thus producing a gear-train which gives accelerated rotary motion to the gear la.

On the same shaft with the gear /t a fanblade la is transversely secured, which by its impact on the air serves to steady and control the rotary movement of the cylinder 6. It will be seen that by the gear-and-fan-controlled action of the motor C a steady rotatable movement will be communicated to thc cylinder 6 in direction of the curved arrow .fr in Fig. 2, when said cylinder is free to turn.

rlwo tripping-shafts 9 are journaled near their ends in the end walls of the cylinder 6 close to the periphery of the latter, and, as indicated in Fig. 2, said shafts are positioned opposite each other. Upon one end of each shaft 9 adjacent to the same end wall of the cylinder 6 a tripping-arm t' is formed or secured and is thus held to rock close to said end wal Opposite cach shaft 9 two suitably-shaped openings are formed in the peripheral wall of the cylinder 6, and from each of the shafts 9 project two other arms t" in the same plane at right angles to the arms c', the arms c" being respectively positioned opposite one of the openings 7c, through which said arms i may be rocked by a similar movement of the arms As shown in Fig. 2, a coiled spring m is provided for contact with a respective arm rf, said springs having each an extended member adapted to press upon the adjacent arm, and, as indicated by full lines and dotted lines in said figure, the arms z" are rocked inward by the springs, this being the normal position of said arms, and, as shown in Fig. 3, there is space afforded between the end wall of the cylinder that carries the spring-pressed arms z' and the near side wall 5 of the box-body to permit the free rocking movement of the arms c'.

At opposite points on the peripheral wall of the cylinder6 two pairs of spaced lifting-fingers n are formed or secured, each pair being spaced apart a proper distance and disposed in a transverse plane parallel with the axis of the cylinder. The fingers n are preferably formed integral with the sheet-metal peripheral wall of the cylinder 6 by cutting their side edges loose therefrom and then bending them outward at a suitable angle, the fingers trending in a like direction, that is indicated by the curved arrow m in Fig. 2.

The fingers n are so relatively disposed that the two opposite ones near one end of the cylinder will pass freely through the notch in the trayboard 8 that is nearest to said end of the cylinder 6, and the other two fingers that are near the opposite end wall of the cylinder will in a like manner pass through the other notch I) in said tray-board when the cylinder is rotated in direction of the arrow To adapt the fingers n, for free passage through the notchesb and also to enable them to engage with matches, they are given V shape, and their points are rounded slightly, as is indicated in Fig. 3.

On the lid 5d two preferably integral abutment-flanges 0 are formed by cutting them loose on their side edges and at one end of each flange, that are subsequently bent inward, so as to incline toward the front end of the box-body, as shown for one flange in Fig. 2, these flanges being formed at each side of an opening 0 in the lid.

Between each pair of fingers n an indentation n is formed in the peripheral wall of the cylinder 6, these indentations, which may also be openings in the wall, being provided to afford room for the finger and thumb of one who is about to take hold of a match, as will now be more definitely explained.

In arranging the device for use there is a number of matches M placed on the trayboard 8, and these by gravity will be caused to pass to the lowest point thereon, a leading match resting against the fianges Z22 b on the tray-board at its lower end, and as the tonguesection that is at the middle of the trayboard is slightly inclined upward toward its free end it will be obvious that the leading match of a series of matches will be supported close to the periphery of the cylinder 6, but will not wedge fast, this being due to the resilience of the middle tongue member of the tray-board. The motor C having been wound up, slow rotary motion will be communicated to the cylinder 6 in direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, and as the pair of fingers n that are nearest to the tray-board pass through the notches therein said pair of fingers will lift the leading match, or one resting against the fianges b2 b3, and elevate the match as the fingers are moved upward, the hooking inclination of said fingers-serving to retain the match thereon. At a proper point, preferably near the center shaft of the cylinder 6, a stud p is projected out from the inner surface of the side wall 5 into the space provided to accommodate the arms fi, the stud being disposed in the path of these arms, so as to impinge upon the arm that is moved upward at the front side of the cylinder. The enforced contact of the moving arm 2f with the fixed stud p will rock the shaft 9, so as to move the arms a" thereon out through the openings c. They are opposite, and thus cause the arms c" to push off any matches from the fingers m that may have rested upon the one first picked up. The single match now resting on the fingers m will IOO IIO

by a continuation of the rotary movement for the cylinder 6 be moved toward the abutment-fianges 0 on the lid 5l and be impinged thereon, which will arrest the rotary movement of the cylinder 6 and expose a single match M for manual removal when a match is required for use.- The novel features in this case consist in the provision of deep notches in the lower end of the tray-'board 8, thus forming a resilient central tonguepiece b thereon, upon which the matches rest and are individuallyT presented to a pair of fingers n for transfer toward the point of arrest for the match.

The provision of springs for rockingthe shafts 9 and moving the pusher-arms 7 into the cylinder 6 is another novel detail.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* l. In a mechanical match-box, the combination with a box-body, a cylinder pivoted therein, said cylinder having outward and upwardly inclined fingers formed integrally thereon, and means for turning the cylinder so as to move the fingers upward, of a tray that inclines from one end of the box-body toward and below the cylinder, said tray having notches forming a resilient tongue thereon,`and a projection from said tongue which supports a match which is picked up by the fingers which pass through the notches.

2. In a mechanical match-box, the combination with a box-body, a rotatable cylinder therein, and two pairs of lingers projected diagonally therefrom, of an inclined trayboard extended below and near the cylinder,

said tray-board having its lower end notched deeply to provide passages for the lingers and afford three spaced tongue members, the middle one of which is upwardly inclined toward its free end, and an upturned iiange on the end of' each tongue member.

3. In a mechanical match-box, the combination with a box-body, a cylinder held to rotate therein, and an inclined tray-board arranged to support matches near the lower part of the cylinder, of similar fingers projected from the cylinder in the path of the lower matches, rock-shafts journaled in the end walls of the cylinder, an arm on an end of each rock-shaft, exterior of and near an end wall of the cylinder, two spaced arms on each rock-shaft, disposed at a right angle to the arm on the end of the shaft, said arms in the cylinder being disposed opposite openings in the peripheral wall of' the cylinder, a spring engaging each outer rock-arm and adapted to normally rock the spaced arms on the shaft into the cylinder, and a projection on the inner surface of the adjacent side of the boxbody that contacts with the outer arms separately, and successively rocks the paired arms on one of the rock-shafts at a time outward and through the'openings in the cylinder-wall.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of' two suh-l scribing witnesses.

EDWARD C. CARRIS.

I/Vitnesses:

C. GROENDYKE, S. I). CARRIS. 

